Virtual World
by C-Nuggets N.L
Summary: A new game was issued to world called "Olympus"; a realistic virtual world played by putting on a helmet. Our PJO friends enter this world unknowingly that this game disabled the ability to log out and revive, meaning once you die, it's certain death. On hiatus - I'm off for vacation.
1. Chapter 1: The NerveGear

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

**Useless Author's Note: Holy crud! I made another story. I couldn't help it. Well, let's see how this'll go. I'll try juggling this story with **_**Pirates **_**as much as I can…**

_**Summary**_**: **_A new and popular video game was released all over the world called "Olympus"; a realistic virtual world played by just putting on a helmet to transfer and add your knowledge and memories from and into the game.  
>Percy Jackson, a poor sixteen year old boy who was in love with video games got an "Olympus" hardwired nerve-gear (the helmet) from his father for his sixteenth birthday gift.<br>Annabeth Chase was in love with this amazing technology and used up her life allowance just to experience living in a virtual world. _

_Our _entire_ PJO characters enter this world of "Olympus," unknowingly that this game disabled the ability to log out, and revival was completely out of the question. The only way to get out of this world was to survive and defeat the last and final boss._

* * *

><p><strong>Virtual World – Chapter One (The Nerve-Gear)<strong>

"_The new and popular 3D virtual video game amongst teenagers has finally arrived!_" exclaimed the female news announcer. "Olympus_ has finally been officially released and people all around the world are just excited as I am to get it! We've got to thank the world's best electronics company, the _Olympians! _In fact, we've got Hermes to join us here today_."

There was a man in a business suit sitting on a separate couch next to the lady. "_Why, thank you. Our company was a huge success thanks to this new invented video game._"

"_May you please explain to us about _Olympus _and this new technology?_" the woman asked eagerly.

The man, Hermes laughed. "_Why of course! That's why I'm here, aren't I? Well, starting with the technology, it basically a helmet like this one here,_" he says. Hermes took out a light blue helmet from his bag next to the couch. It had a wing on both sides of this helmet, otherwise causing it to look pretty plain.

"_Ah, you can customize the helmet yourself on our company's website if you're ordering it online. Or you could mail it to us your favourable design and we'll try our best to make your helmet look identical to what you want. Our default colour in every store is just white; having a personal design is better, I find it. Only an extra five dollars_," he winked.

He put on his helmet to show the audience. It covered up almost his entire face. "_The _on _button is on the back, right over here_." Hermes tapped at the red button at the back of his head._ "Once it's turned on, this helmet sends powerful electromagnetic waves into your brain so that it can block signals sent to your brain to immobilize you. Ha ha! You don't want to run into a wall!  
>This baby will also transfer and add your knowledge and memories from and into the game. Plus, it simulates your five senses! So in this virtual world, you can hear, feel, taste, etc. to experience virtual sensations! Amazing huh? You've got to thank Athena for that one<em>."

"_If you're able to simulate all five senses in the game…there'd be violence too, right? Doesn't that mean you'll feel pain?_" the news lady paled.

"_Well, the point of this game is to make it as realistic as possible!_" Hermes says. "_You don't have to fight in this game, in fact! If you want, you can be a merchant! Selling and buying products, giving out quests to other players, it's the best kind of job for me! You can make a lot of friends that way too! Plus, it's the also an amazing way to make money._"

"Percy!" cried a voice, interrupting Hermes' explanation on the new game, _Olympus_.

Perseus Jackson was excited this August morning. The reason was because it's his birthday. It was August 18th, and he can't wait to see his dad this afternoon. He was coming over from work to give him a birthday present. His dad was Poseidon, one of the seven of the Olympians, and he already knew that his present was going to be a hardwired nerve-gear for the new game _Olympus_. His friends at school are going to be jealous!

"Percy!" the voice shouted again. "Hurry and eat your breakfast! Grover's coming over soon!"

"I'm coming, Mom!" Percy replied. He turned off his television and got off his bed.

Although he may seem rich, the expensive stuff were only from his dad who was long divorced from his mother. Otherwise, his family was rather poor. He hardly used much electricity too, but he had turned on the TV just for today's special occasion.

Percy put on a clean shirt and jeans before rushing to the kitchen. He kissed his mom on the cheek just as she served him his favourite blue pancakes.

"Happy sixteenth birthday!" his mother, Sally says happily. "I've got you a present back from work." Sally placed a cup of orange juice and the syrup on the table for Percy.

"Double fudge chocolates?" Percy's ears perked up.

"Did you take peek in my purse?" Sally frowned disapprovingly. "How many times do I have to tell you this? It completely ruins the point of a present!"

"Well, I know what Dad's going to give me," Percy adds with a smile after he swallowed a bite of his pancakes.

"Oh, do you now?" Sally says, opening the oven.

"Blue cookies?" Percy exclaimed happily as Sally took them out, placing it on the table.

"They're still hot, so don't you dare lay a finger on them yet," she warned. She took off her oven mitts before leaning on the counter. "So what do you think your dad's going to give you, hm?"

"That new game, _Olympus_," Percy says confidently as he finished his pancakes. He reaches over to grab one of his mom's homemade blue chocolate chip cookies, but pulled his hand back almost immediately. "Ouch!"

"I told you it was hot," Sally shook her head.

Just as she said that, the doorbell rang. "I'll go get it," Percy's mom insisted. Sally scurried over to the door to greet the guest.

* * *

><p>"Mother's visiting today?" Annabeth asked her dad, completely astonished<p>

"Yes, so be on your best behavior. She says she wanted to give you something," her dad grunted, turning the page of his newspaper article.

Annabeth was excited. Her mother was visiting, and it was very rare of her to come over just to see her. She treasured every moment of being with her mum, although their conversations were practically like talking from an employer to her boss.

Just as the short chat with her dad was over, the doorbell rang.

"Dad!" one of her twin stepbrothers called out. "Someone's at the door!"

"It's a lady with black hair!" the other shouted, peeking out the window. "Oh my gosh! She just saw me!"

The twins raced up the stairs and shut their bedroom door behind them in fear.

Annabeth sniggered, feeling completely elated. It was most likely her mom at the door; her mom had eyes like falcons. She knows and sees all. "I'll get it!" she says excitedly and nervously.

Annabeth ran to the door, unlocked it, and opened it to see her most respected idol in the world. She stood outside, with a large grey gift bag in her hands. She wore her work outfit, looking as professional as ever. She had black hair, but stormy grey eyes like Annabeth; the only characteristic about her that she loves most because of this reason. "Mother!" she grins. "Please come in."

"Thank you, Annabeth," Athena says curtly, walking inside. She took off her heels as Annabeth closed the door. "May we speak alone please?" As she spoke, her eyes were glaring at the twins who were eavesdropping on their conversation by the staircase.

"Of course," Annabeth replied, glaring at her stepbrothers as well. She didn't want them ruining her mother's visit. The boys stiffened, too paralyzed to move. Their eyes were piercing grey, and completely intimidating.

"Who's at the door, Annabeth?" called out a different voice. Another woman appeared, walking down the stairs in her bathrobe.

"Oh," Annabeth's stepmother scowled. "You."

"Yes," Athena agreed happily. "_Me_."

The tension in the air thickened incredibly, and the silence was completely deafening until Annabeth's dad entered the scene.

"Athena! Great to see you again. It's been awhile," his eyes twinkled joyfully. Annabeth knew that her dad still had feelings for her mom, even if they are divorced. Her dad had fixed his blond hair before he came, and rather than slouching, he showed great posture to impress Athena.

Annabeth stepmother was not pleased, of course. "Fredrick, shouldn't you get to work?"

"Of course! I've been working on this amazing design," he began.

"Well, I'll leave you to work on that," Athena interrupted him. Annabeth's smile faltered. She had wanted her mom and dad to get back together again, but Athena obviously showed no feelings for him anymore. "I'd like to speak with Annabeth alone, if you will." Athena turned to face her. "In your room, perhaps?"

"Yes, mother," Annabeth straightened up. She led Athena to her room and locked the door behind her to prevent any disturbances. "Is there a reason why you visited?"

"I wouldn't have come over if I didn't have a reason," Athena says, sitting on Annabeth's bed. "I came to give a special present for my favourite daughter," she smiled.

"Really?" Annabeth's eyes widened. When her dad said she was going to give her something, she had expected extra studying homework or something of the sort. She was surprised and delighted about this. _Plus_ the fact that Athena implied that Annabeth was her favourite was no doubt the best thing she has ever heard in her entire life.

"Of course. Come sit down," Athena patted on the spot next to her. Annabeth did as told, unable to contain her cheerfulness. Athena brought the grey gift bag to her lap and removed the content inside it.

Annabeth gasped. "Isn't that…?"

"It is," Athena says proudly. In her hands was a nerve-gear, the new video game _Olympus_ hardwired into it. Its design was just plain silver, but Annabeth loved the simplicity of it. "To congratulate our best selling product, I wanted to give one to you. I've also brought the game manual and my notes to how this technology works. We've had it tested out before, so this game is safe to play."

"Thank you!" Annabeth hugged her mom, but pulled back quickly. "Sorry," she blushed.

"It's fine," Athena smiled, although she looked taken aback just a moment ago. "Well, I should get back to work now. Business has been getting extremely busy ever since the stores opened. Make sure you read and know everything before you play the game, okay? And don't slack off on your studies."

"Thank you!" Annabeth repeated again. This was pretty much the first time they've had a daughter and mother conversation.

"Oh, I'll come visit you tomorrow and ask for any recommendations or comments about this game," Athena smiled before leaving the room.

* * *

><p>Nico, a fifteen year old boy ran over to the door that same morning to see a delivery guy holding two heavy boxes outside.<p>

"Hi, I'm here for Nico di Angelo and Bianca di Angelo?" the guy said, reading off his clipboard.

"Bianca!" Nico called.

His older sister by a year came running down the stairs to the door. "Hi," she greeted the delivery dude, almost out of breath.

"Uh, do you have somebody here of age to sign this thing? Eighteen or older?" the guy asked.

"No, our dad's at work," Nico explained.

"Ah, whatever," the guy groaned. "Just sign in those two spaces below." Bianca did as told. "Here." He handed the boxes to Nico and left them with a yawn as a goodbye.

"That guy's not nice," Nico stated with a frown.

"He's probably in a grumpy mood," Bianca guessed, shutting the door closed. "Come on, let's move these to the living room to open them."

Bianca took her box with her name addressed on it from Nico, and carried it over to an empty spot on the floor. Nico tagged along with his box.

"It's from dad," Nico grins.

"We open it on the count of three?" Bianca asked with Nico nodding in reply. "Okay, one, two, three!"

The two ripped the duct tape off the box and opened it as fast as they could; presents from their dad were always the best.

"New Mythomagic cards! And…a bike helmet?" Nico stares at it questioningly. He held up the black nerve-gear to see that it had a skull with cross bones at the top. "Cool! But where's the bike?"

"It's not a bike helmet, you dummy. It's a nerve-gear. Haven't you heard from the news? That new video game, _Olympus_?"

"Whoa! Is it like those ones from comic books? Where you can enter virtual worlds and stuff?" Nico quivers in excitement.

"Exactly like that," Bianca nodded. "I don't remember how it works, so put that back down just in case you do something stupid with it. Dad gave me a manual too, so I can explain to you about this game."

"Aw, but we can figure it out once we enter the game!" Nico groaned.

"If you dare enter the game before me, I will whip your butt so hard before I slice your head open," Bianca threatened, not wanting her little brother to run off by himself.

* * *

><p>Thalia woke up on her queen sized bed. Groaning, she turned to her expensive digital clock on her white bedside table. It was 8:45. Groaning again, she pulled the covers over her eyes.<p>

"Too early," she muttered.

* * *

><p>Hephaestus had placed Beckendorf's gift on the dining table for him to see. Curious, he opened it to find the nerve-gear to the new game, <em>Olympus<em>. It was plain black with two brown hammers crossed on the left side.

Beckendorf smiled at it since he was one of the few people to help out with this new technology's project.

"I'll try it later," he promised himself before rummaging through the fridge, hoping to find some breakfast.

* * *

><p>"Silena!" a high pitched voice squealed, knocking on the door loudly. "Come on out! I have a surprise for you!"<p>

"Coming!" Silena replied as she did finishing touches on her makeup. Once she was done, she hurried over to open the door. "Good morning, Mom! Sorry to keep you waiting!"

"Oh, don't worry about that! I've got something more important to tell you!" Aphrodite jumped up and down happily. "You know about _Olympus_, right? Well, I've got a customized nerve-gear for you!"

Aphrodite showed her the pink and sparkly helmet designed with daisies on the sides. Silena's name was written in purple fancy cursive at the top.

"Oh my gosh, that is so beautiful!" Silena squealed along with her mom. "But, Mom, I said I wasn't interested in this kind of stuff. I mean, fighting isn't, well…"

"I know, I know," Aphrodite sighed. "I didn't like the idea either. But come on! You might meet a cute guy there! Plus, I've given you a special beginner's present for the game too!"

"_Well_, maybe I could find some cute guys… Alright! I think I'll try it sometime. Thanks, Mom!"

"Yes!" Aphrodite clapped her hands. "You _need _to get the perfect boyfriend! Oh, and I've mailed one to your half-sister, Piper as well, so you might see her in the game!"

"Piper? Really? Yes! Thank you so much, Mom!" Silena hugged her.

* * *

><p>"Travis!" Katie jogged over to him at the park; their usual meeting spot. They've been best friends since first grade even though she had hated him in preschool.<p>

"Hey!" he waved lazily, sitting on the bench. "Did your mom get you a nerve-gear?"

"Yeah! You?"

Travis nodded. "We can go play together! I bet I can reach a higher level than you can," he challenged.

"Cannot!" Katie grinned.

"Hey," Conner, Travis's twin brother walked over with an ice cream cone. "I bet I can get ten girls to like me in the game at level one."

Katie rolled her eyes at his personality, sitting next to her best friend. "Really. Only you would say something like that."

"Yeah," Travis agrees, stealing his brother's ice cream. "I can get twenty."

"Ugh," Katie groaned.

* * *

><p>Thalia woke up again. "Ten," she says, looking at the time. "Damn it, I need more sleep."<p>

A knock came on her door. "Miss Grace?" asks a voice. Thalia sighed; it was her house maid. "It's time to wake up already. We've also got a delivery from your father."

Thalia threw her head onto the pillow and screamed into it. She absolutely hated it when people call her by her last name. Once she felt better though, she got up and stormed out her bedroom door in her sparky blue pajamas.

"WHAT IS THIS PIECE OF SHIT? A BIKE HELMET?" Thalia roared.

* * *

><p>Grover and Percy had been eating blue cookies while watching television and talking as Sally went to read a book.<p>

Grover was a brown curly haired boy with a chin wispy beard and has leg muscle disease, so he walks kind of weird. Although he was a scrawny guy, he was Percy's best friend.

Percy noticed that the clock had now struck twelve.

"Dude, are you sure, he's gonna give you an _Olympus _nerve-gear?" Grover asks excitedly.

"Of course! In fact, he e-mailed me about it too. Well, he gave me a hint. He said it looked like a bike helmet, so, it has to be."

"Oh my god, dude! He is so giving you a nerve-gear for _Olympus_! You're so lucky, man!" Grover shook Percy's shoulders with envy.

"Hey! No worries! We can share!" Percy laughed.

Grover stopped shaking him. "But one helmet is like, only for one character."

"Well, we can share an avatar, can't we?" Percy frowned.

"Yeah, but," Grover frowned. "No offense dude, but I think it's better if I could get my own, ya know? Then we can team up and beat –"

"Percy!" Sally shouted again. "Turn off that TV! Your dad's here!"

Percy and Grover shared a look and grinned. They both raced each other out the door to greet Poseidon.

"Dad!" Percy hugged him.

"Mr. Poseidon Sir!" Grover saluted.

Poseidon laughed. "Nice to see you again Percy! You too, Grover! In fact, I got you a present as well."

Grover gasped. "Is it a nerve-gear too?"

"You got me a nerve-gear, right?" Percy asked.

Poseidon sighed dramatically. "My son and his friend are video game freaks."

"_Dad_!" Percy whined, crossing his arms.

"Alright, alright! Let me inside first," he says closing the door behind him. "Here you guys go!"

Poseidon handed each of them two terribly wrapped up presents. The boys didn't care though, 'cause they ripped them open right away.

"Yes!" Percy held up the blue helmet. It had a bronze coloured sword designed on the side of it.

Grover had a dark green helmet with a preschool painted looking tree on the right side. "Holy! Thank you, Poseidon! You're the best!"

Poseidon laughed. "You two should give it a go, huh? Have fun with your birthday gift," he winked. "I'll be heading back to work now."

"Bye Dad! Thanks!" Percy waved at him before he left.

Grover put on his helmet, sitting on the living room's sofa. "Come on! Hurry up and lets defeat this game already!"

Percy grinned.

* * *

><p><strong>Ha ha ha...As you can tell, I've gotten lazy near near the middle to the end... It's 'cause it's twelve thirty in the morning right now...I should've been asleep by ten...<br>Well, don't worry! As I've said, I got lazy, so there are more people in the game too, yeah? Like Clarisse, Luke (DUH, we need like, some sort of villan...), Leo, etc...  
>Anyways, review and tell me your thoughts!<strong>

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!  
>Even if it's about your favourite type of carbonated soda. :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2: The Tour

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Percy Jackson and the Olympians**_**.**

**AN: LOL. I had a review from an anonymous reviewer, comparing this story to Spy Kids. You made my day, dude! Even though I like Spy Kids, unlike you… I just never thought about it that way. But no worries, it's not like Spy Kids, yeah? :D**

_**I've also created a blog; the link is on my profile. Please go check it out! I might post up some pictures I drew up there too…stuff that has to do with the story, obviously. :)**_

* * *

><p><strong>Virtual World – Chapter Two (The Tour)<strong>

It was black. Pitch black, no sound, kind of like having your eyes closed in a vast dark room. And then there was the sound of static. All of a sudden, a hologram appeared, shedding some light into the darkness.

"Holy crap, that's me!" Percy shouted, staring at a hologram of himself. His voice echoed throughout the dark, empty room.

"_Congratulations for noticing_," says a voice booming from above. "_I am Chiron. Welcome to Olympus. You may not see me now though. Right now, we need you to create yourself an avatar_."

Percy stared at the hologram of himself. It was like a mirror; when he moved, the hologram followed. "So…like, what do I do?"

A whole bunch of other holograms zapped out, surrounding him. He freaked when he saw a scaly looking person behind him, kind of like a fish. But that wasn't the freaky part. The freaky part was that the fish person looked exactly like Percy, just with…fishy features.

"_Right now, we'd like you to choose your race. Ah, unless you want to change your gender first?_" Chiron asked.

"Uh, no thanks. I'll pass. I think I like being a guy, thank you very much," Percy said.

"_Very well,_" he replied. "_To your right is a satyr version of you_. _Satyrs have better skills in defense and nature or woodland magic._"

The satyr hologram of Percy waved at him with a smile. Percy figured that Grover must've chosen that race since he was practically in love with nature. Though, he found it kind of awkward to have such hairy legs.

"_Beside the satyr is the cherub,_" Chiron introduced. "_Helpers of the gods_."

The cherub was basically Percy in a white toga and wings with a purifying aura. He just nodded curtly.

Chiron continued to explain about the other races, such as daemons, and the 'beast' that was behind him,  
>("Um, is that even from Greek mythology?"<br>"_No, dear boy. It just resembles you very much._"  
>"Gee, thanks.") telling Percy each of their special abilities. It was too much to choose from; every option seemed too good to be true. Although, the beast version kind of insults him. It's pretty much implying that he's a fish with no brains.<p>

"_Ah, and lastly, the one in front of you_," Chiron began. It was the first hologram that had popped up and mirrored his movements.

"Human?" Percy guessed.

"_Demigod, actually. We won't have any mortals in this game. The abilities of a demigod depend on the godly parent. If you decide to choose this race, the godly parent will depend on your personality that was scanned by the nerve-gear you're wearing,_" Chiron says. "_The demigod may be either Roman or Greek. It's actually a default race._"

"A demigod is half god, half mortal? Wait, so if it's me…who'd my godly parent be?" Percy wondered.

"_I cannot tell you. If you choose this option of a demigod, it is a very large gamble. There is a possibility of getting amazing abilities, or something very useless…like Dionysus for example._"

Percy thought for a moment. Well, his dad was named after a Greek god, he knew that. God of…water? It was water, right? Percy likes water. There must be a large possibility of getting Poseidon. Oh, but being the son of Apollo might be cool too. That way, he'd be awesome with arrows, _and _be hot. "Okay, I choose the demigod," Percy says, determined.

"_Very well, son of Poseidon. Much of a coincidence,_" Chiron says.

The hologram image of demigod Percy flashed, and all of a sudden, he was wearing a bronze chest plate and a copper sword held in his right hand. A bronze helmet with a blue feather was on his head.

"Gosh, I look like a dork," Percy says, scratching his head. He could've sworn that he'd look cooler (too bad he's not Apollo's kid). The chest plate was tilted, and the helmet looked one size too big for him. The sword seemed as if it was too heavy for him to hold, causing him to slouch from the weight.

"_Well, if you would like, we could also change your hairstyle, eyes, and body,_" the instructor suggested.

Percy frowned. "Well…maybe…ah, but Grover might not recognize me if I look different…"

"_So would you like this to stay as you are?_" Chiron asked. "_You cannot change your character again, besides changing your hairstyle_. _Or grow fatter from eating…_"

"Well, yeah, I guess. But can the helmet be smaller? And I'd prefer a different kind of weapon, if you don't mind," Percy says.

"_I'm very sorry, but this is the default armour and weapon for beginner demigods. Any other weapons or armour of choice must be bought at a store in this game_," he explained.

Percy sighed. "Alright, alright," he agreed.

"_What would your name be?_" Chiron asked.

"Um, my name's Perseus Jackson."

"_Very well. Username verified. You will now enter the game within three seconds… Three…Two…_"

"USERNAME? You were talking about _that_? Whoa! Wait! Hold on!" Percy panicked. He had been planning his username beforehand. He thought of the coolest name ever, AquaWave911. 911, get it? Because he'd always be there to help out his friends.

Unfortunately, a white blinding light had already sucked him up.

Groaning, Percy awoke, rubbing his eyes to get used to the sudden change of contrast. He looked around to see that he was practically laying face flat on the grass. The sun was blazing hot, but the cool breeze made the temperature feel moderate. Apparently, he seems to be on a hill; a pine tree sitting next to him.

"Hey!" called a deep voice. "Need help there, newbie?"

Rubbing his eyes once again, Percy sat up straight to check who it was. The man speaking to him had blond hair and blue eyes. He looked freakishly muscular as if he could pound him up into powder in a millisecond, but still somewhat lean. Behind the man were several swooning girls.

Percy got up himself and dusted his pants. He saw his sword lying on the ground in the corner of his eyes and picked it up. Adjusting his oversized helmet, he turned to face the bulky dude. "Er, where am I?"

"Newbie training camp. Camp Half-Blood; place for satyrs and demigods only. You've got to learn the basics before you set off," says the blond.

"Why are you here then? You a newbie too?" Percy wondered.

The man just grinned brightly, although Percy could tell through his eyes, that he wanted to strangle him to death. "I'm here to _help _newbies like you. I'm level twenty-eight, for your information, loser level one."

Percy scowled. "Some trainer you are then, insulting the trainees. I can't believe you aren't fired yet."

"Luke!" called out a voice before the man could snap at Percy.

A pretty blond girl came running up in an orange t-shirt; what Percy was wearing underneath his chest plate too. She wore jeans with a baseball cap sticking out of her pocket. She looked a little muscular and was tanned, probably from the sun. Her hair was curled like a princess's. She would've looked absolutely stunning if her eyes hadn't destroyed the image.

_Grey eyes? _Percy thought. _What the hell?_

She looked intimidating. The girls who were admiring the blond man before stuck their tongues out at the grey-eyed person before running off.

"Hey, Annabeth," said the blond man; the supposed, 'Luke.' "I was going to give this kid a tour, but I've got be somewhere else right now. Chiron called before. Mind if you take my place?"

Percy's eyes widened. Hell no. That ugly liar! Plus, he doesn't even want to be with this girl! She's was staring at him as if he was a blueprint of some sort; examining him as if she was planning ways to castrate him.

The girl turned back to Luke. She blushed. "Sure. Don't take too long."

"No problem! Just a short meeting! See you!" Luke ran off into the camp.

The girl glared at Percy. "Your name?" she demanded.

"Um, Percy," he replied warily. "Jackson," he then added after a moment

The girl's expression softened. "I'm Annabeth Chase. I'll show you the training arena first."

The two entered camp, and in front of them was the most beautiful place they've ever seen. There was a bronze water fountain in front of the entrance, and a large, old looking blue house sitting happily next to it. It was awfully lively around here. One kid sat on the fountain, relaxing with a book next to him. Another kid walked around with a bow and a quiver of arrows, which excited Percy. He couldn't wait to try out archery.

Annabeth pointed at the blue house. "That over there is called the big house. It's where Chiron is. He's an NPC; a non-player character. He's programmed to train newcomers. Luke should be busy in there right now."

Annabeth then pointed over to the horizon where a dome shaped building sat. "That's the amphitheater. Usually, important events or announcements are held there."

She introduced him to the volleyball pit, the wishing fountain which is also used to send Iris messages, before dragging Percy over to the amphitheater.

Walking through the arch, the amphitheater was _huge_. Some people were versing each other while people watched on the seats. The building looked really ancient with the vines and whatnot growing on the walls.

Annabeth pulled Percy over to sit down next to her. He felt a little uncomfortable when she grabbed his wrist. Thankfully, she let him go once they were seated.

"Make sure you learn from watching their moves," Annabeth suggested as two people below tried to slash each other with swords. "It's good to know your opponent's skills and to know new techniques. Since you're new here, it's good to watch for bit."

Percy was awed. The way people blocked, dodged, and charged were all so fascinating to him. He watched everything like a movie, drinking everything in.

"Whoa," Percy muttered. He turned to Annabeth. "I get to sword fight like that?"

"Well, depends on how good you are at it. And, don't worry. You'll be down there versing too," Annabeth says. "It's a newcomer's test. To see how strong you are currently. If you win a match for the newcomers' game, you get to be claimed."

"Claimed?" Percy asked bewildered. "_Test_?" Percy was shocked. He hated tests.

"Yes, and it will start in a few hours. This means, we need to finish the tour quickly and get to training. 'Claiming' is when you get to unlock your powers from your parents, and know who they are."

Percy already knew who his supposed 'godly' parent was, but didn't mention it. He was completely distracted by the practice match below.

Annabeth nudged at his shoulder. When Percy turned to face her, she glared. "Were you even _listening _to me before? Never mind," she said before he could reply with something stupid. "Hurry up and lets go. We need to complete the tour."

Getting up, the two left the amphitheater and followed the dirt path to the right, coming across a building. Annabeth told him it was the forges; a place where people make weapons.

"Usually, children of Hephaestus spend their time there. They create weapons to sell them for money. Forging new weapons are special skills for them. You could create one too if you weren't, but they probably won't be as good," Annabeth explains.

They both peered inside, feeling the drastic high temperature change. Huge, strong looking people walked around with ores, or hammering swords near the heat. There was a rack of completed weapons on the side, and they looked magnificent.

"Can I switch my sword to one of those?" Percy hoped.

"No," Annabeth deadpanned. "That'd be stealing; you'd need permission from the person who created it."

Percy heaved his sword so that it was dragging on the ground. "But I don't like this one."

"Deal with it."

_So much for thinking that she might be nice_, Percy thought to himself.

They went through strawberry fields where they met some friendly dryads and Demeter children, walked past the gloomy looking forest, and past the arts and crafts area filled with Aphrodite kids until they reached the lake.

Plopping a strawberry into his mouth, Percy's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

"This is where events like canoe races take place. Winning competitions can get you priceless awards, or sometimes just money," Annabeth says.

"Can we swim here too?" Percy asked.

"Well, yeah. But I wouldn't suggest it. There are a lot of fishes down there…"

"You're afraid of fish?" he asked.

Annabeth glared. "No, I'm not afraid of _fish_. I'm saying there could be dangerous creatures and…I'm a daughter of Athena. The lake is Poseidon's domain. It'd be careless of me to swim in there. I could be blasted into pieces."

"You'd be blasted into pieces?" Percy's eyes widened, flabbergasted.

"Don't you know _anything _about this game before you started?" Annabeth sighed. "Whatever. You should know this game's 'Greek mythology' related. Poseidon and Athena practically hate each other; rivals. The Olympians in real life are practically 'Olympians' in this game. They're the game masters."

"Then why would Poseidon blast you…?"

"_Because_ Athena and Poseidon hate each other. If there was a child of Poseidon out there, we'd be rivals too. Think of it this way – if you were Poseidon, and you hate Athena, would you blast her child into smithereens or welcome her into your home happily?"

"Well, welcoming her, I guess," Percy says. "I don't like the idea of blasting someone…"

"_Ugh_," Annabeth shut her eyes tightly from frustration.

"But I get your point! I just personally don't think blasting people is a great idea," Percy says frantically.

"Good, now let's move on," Annabeth sighed from irritation.

Annabeth showed Percy the climbing wall. It looked pretty normal at first; just a wall to rock climb on. That is, until Percy saw the lava spewing out from the top like a volcano.

"Care to try?" Annabeth offered. "It's a good challenge."

"Er, maybe next time," Percy replied uncomfortably.

Annabeth also lead him to the armory and then the Pegasus stables, where Percy felt a little awkward. He was sure that winged horses aren't supposed to speak.

"_My lord!_" shouted a white Pegasus. It took Percy a while to realize that the horse was speaking.

"Um, Annabeth? Are Pegasus able to speak?"

"What kind of stupid question is that? Of course not," Annabeth stated as if it was obvious.

Feeling like he was hallucinating or experiencing some sort of bug, he just patted the spoken Pegasus before leaving the stables.

"_Goodbye, Lord!_" the horse neighed joyfully.

Scary enough, the rest of the Pegasi in their stalls also sent an echo of gleeful farewells to him too. Panicking and pretending nothing weird had happened, he walked out of the stables with Annabeth feeling a little pale.

After a few minutes of walking, they came upon an area with lots of stone tables on a large marble patio.

"This is where we can eat to restore hit points," Annabeth says.

"Um, where's the roof? What if rains?" Percy questioned.

"It doesn't rain here. Only certain places do; just not Camp Half-Blood," Annabeth replied. "You really don't know anything, huh?"

Percy just scratched the back of his head embarrassingly. All Percy knew about this game was the ability to enter a virtual world and swing a sword around like a manic. And that was all that's needed to convince him to enter this _Olympus_.

Nearby the "Mess Hall" was what Annabeth called the dining area were the cabins. She said that each and every cabin is represented by different gods and goddesses; where the demigod sleeps depends on their parent. She says it's the same for the tables in the Mess Hall as well.

"You'll find out your parent after the match. We've got about an hour left. I'll show you the beach first before the arena. It's near the amphitheater," Annabeth says.

"You won't kill me, right?" Percy asks.

Annabeth just smiled innocently before walking off, leaving Percy to follow her.

The waters at the beach glimmered beautifully it the sunlight, making Percy wonder how it'll look like at night. The sand was pure white and soft, but the beach was empty.

"Where is everybody?" Percy wondered.

"Well, most people would rather train than spend time on the beach. Usually, the beach is used for lots of events. The most popular one I read in the guide book was the Firework Festival on July fourth. There are also Pegasi races too," she explained. "Oh, right, and chariot races are held in the amphitheater too," Annabeth added.

Percy's eyes drifted to a lovey-dovey couple sitting near the waters.

"The beach is popular towards couples," Annabeth rolled her eyes, noticing what Percy was looking at. "Which is stupid since this game involves violence, not some love game. It was Aphrodite and Poseidon who suggested this beach."

"This beach is cool," Percy commented.

"Not my favourite," Annabeth says bitterly. "Now, let's go to a proper place where I can kick your butt."

"Fun," Percy grumbled.

Percy and Annabeth reached the arena soon enough, with about half an hour left. When they entered the vast training area, they found separate sections for each particular weapon. One spot was for archery where lots of Apollo kids kept shooting arrows at the bulls' eye of the target. Another was for swords, one for spears, and this large area for versing people in short battles.

Percy watched a buff looking girl trying to skewer a kid with a sword with her spear.

"That's Clarisse, the daughter of Ares. She's trouble. Try to avoid her as much as possible, and _don't _say anything stupid to her," Annabeth warned. "Now," she tied up her hair before she took out a dagger that was strapped onto her thigh. "Let's see how good you are with that sword."

When Percy first saw the tiny little knife, he first thought she was kidding. And then he remembered that Annabeth seemed like the type of girl who's serious, and cannot underestimate.

Feet shoulder width apart, Percy held his sword with both hands, lifting it up with the tip facing Annabeth.

Annabeth examined Percy, obviously somewhat impressed by his stance; most newbies stood still like a twig while trying to show off by holding their heavy sword singlehandedly. This, of course, was easy for her to defeat because of their awful balance. But for Percy, he may have skills in sword fighting.

Deciding to charge first, Annabeth tried to swing for his arm, trying to get him to drop his sword. She wasn't entirely successful, however. Annabeth was able to catch Percy off guard and create a cut his arm swiftly, but he endured the pain.

_Screw not hitting a girl_, Percy thought, wincing when he saw the blood. _Nobody says you can't swing a sword at a girl though_.

He swung the heavy blade at Annabeth who was a little shocked that her plan didn't work. Almost beheading her, Annabeth quickly dodged the attack. Percy hadn't underestimated her, but Annabeth sure did, and it was a fatal mistake.

Gritting her teeth, she decided to use a different tactic; the one move she uses to finish a clean match easily.

Trying to dash behind Percy, she almost got hit several times by his sword. He absolutely did not allow her access to get him from behind. She needed a distraction of some sort to buy her time to get close to him. However, he kept swinging his sword to prevent her from getting any closer; an advantage for longer blades. Though, from swinging his sword so much, his oversized helmet fell off, causing him to stumble over the piece of metal.

She was almost able to unarm him, but he dodged her move with ease. This battle was tougher than she thought; Annabeth _was _just level five. But why couldn't she just defeat this measly level one sixteen year old boy? She wasn't even sure. _Is _he even level one? He could be a level niner in a newbie disguise, but there's no way he could be that good of an actor.

She tried to balance out the pros and cons of their current situation. She has most mobility; no armor, small weapon, and quick agility but low defence. Percy has heavy armor and sword, and he's still pretty new even though his sword can provide terrible damage. Trying to use speed as her advantage, she charged at Percy one more.

Dodging his first swing in the amidst of sprinting towards him, she took one more large step before looping through this arms, dagger pointing dangerously at his throat.

Percy, two hands still on his sword now behind Annabeth's back, he was surprised that he practically had his arms around a girl's waist.

She smiled in triumph when she heard Percy drop in sword and saw his dumbfounded face. As fast as the victorious feeling came, it quickly vanished and replaced as embarrassment when she realized the distance between their faces.

Her own face blushed red as she stared into the greenest eyes she'd ever seen. She took this chance to observe him up close. His lips were sealed tightly, forming a small frown. His eyes looked down at her, utterly startled. His hair looked like a mess – something she hadn't noticed up till now because she was too concentrated on getting the short training and tour over with, as well with the helmet practically blocking his entire head before– but it suited him quite well. Dare she think it – Percy actually looked cute. She also realized their height difference; Percy was at least a head taller.

Freakishly enough, her heart skipped a beat when he stared intensely into her grey orbs.

"NEWCOMERS, PLEASE START SIGNING UP FOR THE NEWCOMER'S TOURNAMENT IN THE AMPHITHEATER NOW. THE FIRST MATCH WILL START IN TEN MINUTES," boomed a voice from above.

Percy, who was still very curious about Annabeth's eyes, had continued to stare. He couldn't believe he found them unsuitable and ugly in the first place. Looking up close, they looked brilliant.

Sadly, Annabeth didn't give him the chance to continue staring. Shoving him away, Annabeth put her dagger back and picked up Percy's sword for him.

"Hurry up," she says; containing her blush, "the tournament starts soon."

With that, she hurried off and out of the arena, running to the amphitheater.

Percy picked up his helmet and was about to follow, but somebody grabbed him from behind. Turning around, he finds Luke.

"Hey, level one," he greeted in his fake cheerful voice. "The people entering the tournament go through that entrance of the amphitheater," he pointed to the opposite end of the amphitheater's main entrance.

Through there, he sees nervous new kids with heavy swords like his going through that archway. Most likely Luke wasn't lying about it, so Percy thanked him and rushed off to sign up for the newcomer's tournament.

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><p><strong>Don't worry. I did edit. A bit. In the very beginning part? Well, hopefully there wouldn't be any mistakes... mention 'em to me if you find any though :P<br>Make sure you mention them...in a REVIEW if you don't mind ;)**

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	3. Chapter 3: The Son of Poseidon

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians**

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><p><strong>Virtual World – Chapter Three (The Son of Poseidon)<strong>

Annabeth found a seat up close to the action, and clutched her single beaded necklace. She was worrying about Percy. Would he be okay? Of course he would; he just beat her, a level five. But she still nibbled her bottom lip anxiously.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" shouted the announcer. "Please be seated by the next ten minutes before the show starts!"

Annabeth let out a breath of relief, and then scrunched her brows together. Why would she be relieved? No, she couldn't be that worried about that boy. Of course, she wouldn't be afraid for him when the tournament starts. Isn't that right?

Annabeth gently rubbed her temple as if she was going crazy. She can't be thinking about a boy right now. Now was a chance to look for new battle strategies, new opponents, and new allies. She can learn from their matches, their movements, and know who would be best for her team. It's one of the best reasons to watch tournaments like these. Aside from the fact that ninety percent of the people filling this stadium was to watch level ones get beat up.

She looked back up, below where the stadium was. She could see the newbies effortlessly swinging their sword and striding as if they were already pronounced winners. Obviously, they thought too highly of themselves. She needed a successful team, not an egotistical one. So Annabeth looked through the crowd of people carefully. However, she unconsciously ended up scanned the area for a certain somebody, but stopped herself when she realized what she was doing. She sighed, knowing this was hopeless. It seemed so impossible to get those green eyes out of her head.

So instead, she gave up and analyzed the audience. The seats were filling quickly, chitter chatter consuming the ears of every player in the amphitheatre. There were NPCs selling edible buffs such as Critical Wine (increases critical hits, but lowers agility), as well as healing foods like ambrosia. Of course, most people seemed to like the wine more than anything. Tch, virtual alcoholics. People were casually talking with one another, sitting in groups of friends.

Come to think of it, Annabeth began to realize how empty the seats next to her were. Throughout the fifteen minutes of her game-playing, she'd been training herself and neglecting other people who came to talk to her. Well, she was never a people-person anyways. However, her eyes met a couple sitting parallel to her seat, and they were giggling and giving each other butterfly kisses. Her face flushed at the embarrassment of invading their privacy, but her eyes lingered on the couple for a couple more seconds before she looked away. Oddly, she somehow wished she had a partner to share secrets with.

As if on cue, as soon as Annabeth looked away from that couple, she saw a dorky Perseus Jackson come tumbling into the stadium. She watched as he nervously looked at his opponents who were either arguing about who will beat up whoever's ass, or chatting and thinking of teaming up with one another. She noticed the way he gripped his sword as he looked at his surroundings, and there wasn't much. Sand coloured cement flooring and high cement walls to prevent the newbies from escaping their opponent. Otherwise, there's an old, useless looking chariot sitting in the corner and a barrel.

"Hey, Donkey! Move out of the way," cackled a voice.

Annabeth turned to see a nervous satyr being pushed down the stairs by a couple of bullies, and instinctively stood up, seeing that the bullies looked much weaker than she is.

"Hey!" she shouted at them. "Leave him alone, or you'll regret it!"

The bullies looked warily at her before bro-punching each other's chest and giving each other cautious looks. They knew who she was – they've seen her train at the arena many times before. "Pft, forget it," one decided. "Let's not waste our time here." They strode off with false pride, going up to the nosebleed section.

"Thanks," says the satyr happily, looking relieved. He hopped over to stand next to her, eyes gleaming at her as if she was some sort of hero. "I'm actually pretty new here. Apparently, the tournament is only for demigods, so I have no idea what to do," he laughed unintelligently.

"That's fine," Annabeth says shortly, taking her seat. She didn't want anything to do with the satyr now. She just wanted to feel superior and take her mind off of Percy at the same time. But unfortunately, he had different ideas.

"Mind if I sit next to you?" asked the half-goat hopefully. "My name's Grover, by the way! Actually, my user's supposed to be G-Man, but that Chiron tricked me! He just asked for my name! I didn't know it was supposed to be my username. So what's yours?"

Annabeth instantly regretted saving this boy's hide. He talked too much; Annabeth liked her peace and quiet. It gives her some thinking time too. Also, she didn't seem to enjoy his company compared to Percy's, but she decided to be nice anyways. Just a little bit.

"I'm Annabeth. You can sit next to me if you want," she replied, sounding like she didn't care about him at all.

"Great!" Grover exclaimed, not noticing her tone of voice. Grover sat down and looked around at the stadium below to see the participants of the tournament. He laughed joyfully when he spotted someone. "Hey, Perce! Stop standing around like that! You look like an idiot!"

Annabeth froze. _Perce_? Grover didn't mean… No. Impossible. This world can't be that small. But clearly, it was. Annabeth looked down to Percy to see him facing Grover. She couldn't believe they actually knew each other as she saw him grin at the satyr. The feeling of knowing this Grover suddenly didn't seem like such a bad thing anymore.

Percy looked next to Grover after he waved at him. Annabeth sucked in a breath when his eyes met hers, and all of a sudden, the loud noise around the amphitheatre dimmed as her heart thumped loudly. Gods, she was being way too over dramatic, but it was exactly how she felt. An overwhelming sensation surged through her when Percy grinned and waved at her too. She felt her face burn up as she gave Percy a small smile and wave also.

And then Percy looked away when a tough looking girl shoved him aside, causing him to bump into the barrel. They looked as if they've gotten into an argument. Annabeth's feeling of happiness faded as she watched Percy's attention being paid elsewhere.

"What the heck was that?" Grover asked her.

Annabeth flinched, forgetting for a moment that he was there. She turned to his acne covered face, a blush creeping up her cheeks again. "What was what?" she asked, keeping her voice leveled.

Grover raised an eyebrow, obviously amused. "That. There it is again."

Annabeth glared. "_What_?" she asks exasperatedly.

"Oh hey, Percy's looking in this direction," Grover says, waving down to the stadium once more.

Annabeth quickly whipped her head to look down, hoping to see Percy smiling at her again. Sadly, Percy was still having a conflict with the buff girl. Annabeth continued to stare however, watching closely at how Percy over exaggerates by using hand gestures.

"You fell for it."

Annabeth blinked before bringing herself back to reality. "Huh?" And then Annabeth felt like face-palming herself. That stupid – that little – he tricked her! Annabeth bubbled with rage.

"You have a crush on Percy or something?" Grover lit up.

"Wha – no! I don't!" Annabeth says a bit too quickly. "I – I'm just interested in him, that's all…" She realized how wrong that sounded once the words came out of her mouth.

"Ah-ha!" Grover smirked. "You _do _like him! Well, tough luck. There're a lot of other girls swooning over him too, the lucky git."

"No!" Annabeth waved her hands frantically. "That's not what I meant!" This satyr was pissing her off, but her eyes couldn't help but look around the amphitheatre. Sure enough, she spotted girls giggling and pointing at Percy everywhere. Seeing that certainly struck her nerve. Who did they think they were? Making googly eyes at Percy like that?

"Well, what'd you mean then?" Grover wondered innocently.

Annabeth's eyes flickered back to Grover, and she gripped onto her armrests to calm herself down. "You know, he's a potential fighter," she replied. "I could use him in my team," she mumbled almost inaudibly.

"Then you'd better be quick about that. Those girls would ask him to join _their _team if you don't act fast, you know. Say, can I join too?" Grover asked, filled with hope.

Annabeth frowned. "Maybe. You can do woodland magic?"

"That's right!" Grover says proudly. "I can do a teensy bit of healing, buffs, _and _I can trap bad guys with vines. Cool huh?"

"Well," Annabeth said thoughtfully. "I suppose you could be of some use…" But then again, he basically has the basic powers of an Apollo and Demeter/Dionysus demigod. However, you can only have three players in a team. Having a healer and someone who's good with a little earth magic can be useful. Having a satyr on her team isn't a bad idea, except that she found Grover terribly annoying. She wants Percy to be in her team too, but it'd be way too embarrassing if she had to ask him after he beat her in their one on one match. He might want to be in a stronger team than with her. However, if Grover was in her team… "Fine. You're in. But it'll be your job to get Percy in our team, got it?"

"Sweet!" he fist pumped the air, causing Annabeth to sigh. "Thanks! I won't let you down!"

"Just remember 'bout Percy," she grumbled.

"Heroes!" boomed the announcer's voice. "Our claiming tournament is beginning!"

Annabeth stiffened and looked below. The participants were all heading into the arch way entrance of where they entered from. There were so many people huddled together to squeeze into the large arch way; there were so many heads – she couldn't spot Percy. Metal bars then slid down to block the players from entering the stadium. Deafening cheers went about in the crowd, and Annabeth let out a shaky breath.

She had won the pervious tournament. The winner gets rewarded with special items and unlocks cool skills or better stats. The ones who pass the first round are the only ones to get claimed, and all Percy needs to do is to at least pass this part of the tournament and he's free to go on quests – _with me_, Annabeth added to herself unintentionally, but let it pass. She received an invisibility cap and a huge boost for accuracy and intelligence. She's obviously a daughter of Athena, but she's curious about Percy's demigod parentage. It's one of the reasons why she's so interested in this tournament.

"Hey," says a voice.

Annabeth looked up to see Luke staring down at her with a warm smile. Annabeth smiled back with a faint blush – she can't deny to herself that she's got a small crush on him. He's handsome, strong, kind, brave, and he helped her win her first tournament. Not to mention, he's an amazing swordfighter.

"Hey," Annabeth replied shyly. He was the only person that made her feel shy, and it's most likely because of his icy cold eyes. Once his eyes are targeted onto somebody, he wouldn't stop staring until their conversation was over. It gave her the chills, and she wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a good or bad thing.

"Hi!" Grover piped up, completely ruining the atmosphere. "I'm Grover! It's nice to meet you. What's your name? Whoa, is that a scar? That's wicked! Where'd you get it from? Bla-aah!"

Luke glared at Grover, and it was the first time she's seen him angry. It was understandable – Annabeth couldn't take Grover either. Luke's angry expression disappeared quickly and he smiled at the satyr.

"I'm Luke. It's nice to meet you too." And he says it as if he meant it. However, Annabeth noticed that his eyes told a different story. Luke tilted his head so that his eyes met hers. Annabeth instinctively looked away, unsure why. It was the very first time she's looked ever so closely at Luke's eyes. It's what they say: the eyes are the windows to your soul. For some reason, Annabeth didn't want to see what was in his soul as if she was afraid of something.

"Mind if I sat next to you?" Luke asks.

"Sure!" Grover replies, totally cool with his presence. "We can be buddies n' stuff! Say, you like enchiladas?"

Luke scowled. It was obvious he was talking to Annabeth, and she felt a little disappointed when Luke sat next to Grover rather than her. However, the show was starting, and she quickly forgot about that matter when the announcer was about to unfold the mystery of the first two participants.

"First up is Nico di Angelo and –" Annabeth completely zoned out when she didn't hear Percy's name. This Nico, however, got beat up real bad, but used up his little amount of energy to stab his opponent quickly. After his opponent's death, a hologram of a helmet flew above his head.

"Congratulations to Nico di Angelo, son of Hades! You made it to the next round! Please rest in the infirmary until the second round begins!"

Nico was escorted by several other demigods out the amphitheatre, and to the infirmary. Annabeth bit her lip; she can't have him on her bad side of the list. He could make a dangerous enemy, but a good ally. She pushed the thought to the back of her head and concentrated on the tournament.

"Next up is Thalia Grace versus Conner Stoll! Let's give them a round of applause!" Hearing this made Annabeth let out a sigh of relief. Luke heard and sharply turned his head to check up on Annabeth who seemed fine, and watching the tournament with ease. He gave her a suspicious look – although she's not noticing – before sitting back properly in his seat.

The metal barred door opened and a girl with spiky black hair came striding out with an intimidating aura. The next was a tall, but skinny brown haired boy who was staring at the girl as if she was going to pound him to death. Which, she most likely would've. The door closed back down, and avoiding awful descriptions of Conner's death and loss, Thalia won and Conner flashed in bright light to return to his revival spot. Cheers went all around as Thalia was claimed to be a daughter of Zeus; a worthy teammate. A blue hologram of a lightning bolt hovered over her head for a few moments before flashing away.

"We have Katie Gardner and Travis Stoll! Let's all give them a warm greeting to the stage!" Annabeth almost laughed. A warm greeting? More like encouragement for slaughter. But claps and cheers were heard all around.

A long brown haired girl and a guy oddly similar to Conner came out to stage. I couldn't hear them, but it seemed like they were throwing insults at each other. When the battle started, it took a while for it to finish. Though in the end, Katie won as she victoriously stomped on Travis's chest before he disappeared to light. Katie was claimed to be a daughter of Demeter. She muttered something, shaking her head with a sigh, before leaving to the infirmary.

More names were called, and more matches were ended. Annabeth looked bored and tired whereas Grover was on the edge of his seat, wincing every time someone gets sliced. Luke simply observed the battles. Annabeth leaned back and sighed once more.

"You're doing that again," Grover says. "What's wrong?"

"Doing what?" Annabeth raised a brow at him.

"You're sighing like –," Grover did an over exaggerated sigh, "– and then looking down at your feet as if you're bored or disappointed."

"He has a point there," Luke joined in. "What's up?"

"A cloud."

"Ha-ha," Luke faked a laugh. "But really, are you impatient about something?"

"No, I'm just…" But Annabeth got interrupted. The next contestants were called up and she clearly heard a "_Perseus Jackson._" Annabeth sat up straight and scooted over to the edge of her seat, and looked down at the stadium with anticipation as she gripped her arm rests and bit her bottom lip with worry.

Grover completely ignored Annabeth's strange behavior and started cheering for his best friend. Whereas Luke on the other hand, he knew there was something strange about her, and was for some reason angry as if a plan of his was being ruined.

Down below was Percy Jackson and his oversized helmet. He walked out, dragging his overweighed sword behind him and onto the center of the amphitheatre were everybody was watching him silently. It was odd; everyone cheered for the other contestants, but this time, the aura was different. People weren't cheering; they were whispering to each other, and muttering and giggling about something – some sort of gossip, perhaps. Some girls gave Percy a dreamy look, and some guys gave him a death glare.

"He's _so _cute," Annabeth heard a girl behind her say.

"Yeah, but haven't you heard? There was a rumour that this boy beat up a _girl_. Ethan told me. He was like, '_oh, this boy is merciless,_' and said, _'he's dangerous, so you've got to stay away from him_.'"

"Oooh, so he's strong!" the first girl squealed quietly.

"Yeah, but he'd probably kill you in a second. I'd bet my money that he'd win this competition. He won't even be hesitant to kill his opponent," replied the second girl.

Annabeth's grip on her arm rests tightened, glaring at Percy. Thanks to him, she'd be known as some helpless little girl. _Beat up a girl mercilessly? Ha! I bet you he doesn't even have the guts to kill a bunny rabbit even if he was stranded on an island with no food._

She watched as Percy looked around until he spotted Annabeth amongst the crowds again. He grinned at Grover and Annabeth with a friendly wave. Great, and now a new sprout of rumours are coming alive again.

"Oh my gods, was he waving at us?" the girl behind her asked excitedly. "He doesn't even _look _dangerous. Want to ask him to join our team after this?"

Annabeth was burning in blinded anger. _What _the Hades did those whores say?

Thankfully, Grover came to save the day, and Annabeth was grateful once again for letting him join her team. "Sorry, gals," Grover says to them in some sort of smooth talk. "That's my best friend; he's in our team. Afraid to disappoint you ladies," he winked.

"Ew," one winced. "Is that goat flirting with us?"

Grover scowled and slumped back into his seat. "How lady-like," he muttered, causing Annabeth to laugh.

"Well, you can always do better," she's decided to say.

"You're right! I can! I'll probably find a pretty dryad who'll love me back!" Grover nodded, feeling extremely determined. "Ooh! Here comes Percy's opponent: some girl named Clarisse. He's probably going to beat her up easily!"

Yeah, that wasn't quite true. A bulky looking girl stormed out with a glaring sneer directed towards Percy. It was that girl Percy argued with earlier. He visibly gulped and pulled his sword up, getting ready in his fighting position.

Clarisse – the girl, she shouted an insult so loud that Annabeth could hear her from such a distance.

"Prepare yourself, skinny punk! I'm gunna rip out your all your damn internal organs and feed them to the monsters!"

Annabeth scrunched her nose with disgust. "That's revolting. I don't even want to image that."

Next to her was a shuddering Grover. "T-Th-That's…t-that's…a g-girl?"

Luke snorted. "She's going to beat up Percy real good then," he said in an amused voice.

"He's a good fighter," Annabeth replied. "He can win."

"Sounds like you're just trying to reassure yourself," Luke says, relaxing in his seat. "Don't worry about it; he's a tough kid. He can handle a virtual death, can't he?"

Annabeth scowled. She wasn't trying to reassure herself. She was certain. Deciding not to convince Luke about Percy's skills, she looked back down where the battle was starting.

Clarisse was the first to lunge. She could've struck Percy right in the chest with her sword, but Percy had luckily stumbled over his feet, dodging her attack.

"Ooh!" says the announcer. "Perseus got a close hit! And here comes Clarisse with another strike!"

Annabeth wished he would shut up. She's already panicking on the inside; would the announcer stop making the situation worse? Percy was a much better fighter when he was against her, so why isn't he trying now?

Percy dodged one attack; two swings; avoided another kick. She watched as Percy kept backing up towards the barrel. Just when Percy stood beside it, Clarisse slashed at the barrel, causing it to break apart, blade almost scratching Percy. The barrel exploded with water and it showered the audience near the scene.

"Oh!" shouted the announcer once more. "It looks like the adrenaline is getting pretty serious now! It seems to me that Perseus is now cornered! It looks as if it's going to be his final moments in _this _tournament."

Annabeth clenched her teeth when Clarisse raised her sword above her head with a wicked grin. However, with the look on Percy's face, she knew that he probably came up with some dumb plan. He smiled right back at Clarisse who now had confusion written all over her face, but quickly recovered to let her sword slice Percy's head in half.

Luckily for Percy (and Annabeth as well as Grover), Percy _didn't _die. Quite opposite, actually. It went by so fast that she hardly even saw it coming. Percy merely flicked his wrist and the water on the ground formed into a shield, protecting Percy, kind of like him being in a large bubble. The audience gasped in surprise; nothing like this has ever happened before. Clarisse's sword bounced off his water shield, and let her weapon go out of shock. Her sword flung all the way across to the other side of the battlefield. The shield suddenly dropped in a huge splash, but Percy stayed dry. He lifted his sword and pointed it at Clarisse's throat.

Annabeth read his lips. "I win."

"THEN KILL ME!" Clarisse roared.

But Percy shook his head; his sword didn't move an inch.

"What's he doing?" Grover wondered. "Come on! Kill her! Win this tournament!" he cheered, hopping out of his seat. "Kill her! Kill her!" Grover mimicked the chants going all around the amphitheatre.

Annabeth grabbed Grover's wrist and pulled him back down to his seat.

"What're you doing?" Grover asked. "Don't you want Percy to win?"

"He's already won," Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Haven't you read the rules? You don't have to kill somebody to win; you have to _defeat _your opponent. Clarisse is already defeated; Percy's already won. He doesn't need to kill."

"Come on, Perseus!" shouted the announcer. "Let's give the audience what they want!"

Percy's hand gripped onto the handle of his sword, and everyone went silent, thinking that he'd send Clarisse to her revival point. Instead, he flabbergasted everyone once again, and made Annabeth feel proud at the same time. "I win!" Percy shouted, sword still at Clarisse's neck. "I've won! There's no need for death!"

Muttering went all around another time as the announcer cleared his throat. "I suppose… Alright, fine. Perseus wins; Clarisse you're out. Better luck next time."

Percy lowered his sword and talks with Clarisse for a few moments before she nodded solemnly and walked out of the stage as cheering blazed amongst the crowds of people. Percy looked up at Grover and Annabeth and gave them such a happy expression that they couldn't help but smile along with him.

The curiosity of how Percy moved the waters was then explained. A hologram of a sea green trident hovered above Percy's head, causing Annabeth's grin to falter, but the audience to cheer louder. It was as she thought. He was a son of Poseidon.

* * *

><p><strong>Ha ha. I hope this chapter makes up for my absence.<br>Make sure to check my blog for any sneak peeks of my fanfictions! The link's on my profile! I've also got a deviantart account, so you can check out some of my drawings sometime too! And yeah, I totally drew that - my new profile picture, I mean. I know, I could've done better...  
>Anyways, please review and tell me what ya think of this chapter, yes?<strong>

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